Apparatus for rewinding builder chain of spinning machine



.Sept. 6, 1966 o. E. A. EDLER ET AL 3,270;972

APPARATUS FOR REWINDING BUILDER CHAIN OF SPINNING MACHINE Filed June 5, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 QMIM MM l mmmmm y mwmm I QMIWM INVENTORS. OTTO E. A. EDLER BY COY V. JONES, SR.

4TTORNEY Sept. 6 1966 o. a. A. EDLER ET AL 3,270,972

APPARATUS FOR REWINDING BUILDER CHAIN OF SPINNING MACHINE Filed June 5, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 N QE II C) Q INVENTORS. C OTTO E. A. EDLER 23 COY v. JONES, SR.

x1 TTOR NE Y Sept. 6, 1966 o. E. A. EDLER ET AL 3,270,972

APPARATUS FOR REWINDING BUILDER CHAIN OF SPINNING MACHINE Filed June 5, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG.6

'INVENTORS. OTTO E. A. EDLER COY V. JONES, SR.

A TTOR NE Y United States Patent 3 270,972 APPARATUS FOR RE WINDING BUILDER CHAIN 0F SPINNING MACHINE Otto E. A. Edler, Greenville, and Coy V. Jones, Sn, Greer, SC, assignors to Southern Machinery Company, Greer, S.C., a corporation of South Carolina Filed June 5, 1964, Ser. No. 372,972 15 Claims. (Cl. 242-261) This invention relates broadly to improvements in textile spinning frames, and more particularly to a device for automatically rewinding the well-known builder chain which interconnects the pulley onthe builder arm with the counterweighted lift means for the ring rail of the spinning frame.

The invention contains subject matter in common with prior copending application Serial Number 23 8,424, Nov. 19, 1962, for Builder Motion Rewinding and Tip Bunch Applying Means for Spinning Frames, Coy V. Jones, Sr., inventor, now Patent No. 3,138,339, and constitutes an improvement over the construction disclosed in said prior application. The objectives of the present invention correspond generally to those set forth in said prior application. Additionally, the present invention device by virtue of its construction is more economical to manufacture and more reliable and efiicient in operation than the device of the prior application. The size and shape of the instant invention device renders it suitable for installation on existing builder arms of most textile spinning frames without obstructing the operation of other conventional components. The device of said prior application had the disadvantage of interfering with the well-known feeler bunch builder on certain spinning frames and the present improved device being more compact completely overcomes this problem.

The invention provides a completely automatic, selfcontained, electrically operated unit which may be used to advantage on spinning frames by itself or in conjunction with other spinning frame automation equipment, such as the equipment disclosed in prior United States Patents 3,059,407, 3,080,701 and 3,124,925, for example. The electrical energizing and de-energizing of the invention device may readily be dictated by a cable leading from the main electrical control unit of the automation system shown in said prior Patent 3,124,925.

The overall object of the invention as mentioned in prior application Serial Number 238,424, is the elimination entirely of the necessity for manually rewinding the builder chain subsequent to lowering and locking the ring rail either manually or automatically in the cycle of operation of the spinning frame.

Another and more specific object of the invention resides in the provision in the device of brake means to avoid back slippage of the chain pulley or premature partial rewinding of the chain, in the event that the spinning frame has to be stopped before the completion of the normal bobbin-building cycle. Customa-rily, when this occurs, and before restarting the spinning operation, the ring rail is shaken or moved up and down slightly. When this occurs, some slackening of the builder chain and premature rewinding thereof could occur were it not for the built-in brake means to prevent this.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic rewinding device for the builder chain of the spinning frame, which device may be completely electrically controlled and timed from a main control timer box on the spinning frame which also controls the operation of other automation components.

Another object is to provide a device of the mentioned character whose installation is simplified and requires only a minimum alteration of existing mechanism.

3,270,972 Patented Sept. 6, 1966 Other objects and advantages of the invention will be.

apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a spinning frame of the movable ring rail type having the automatic builder chain rewinding device of the invention installed thereon, parts omitted,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the invention device, partly in section, taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section taken on line 3--3 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 44 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 5 is a vertical section taken on line 55 of FIGURE '3,

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 5 illustrating the unwinding or letting-off of the builder chain from the chain pulley during the bobbin building operation, the retrograde brake means being in the active condition,

FIGURE 7 is a similar view illustrating the automatic rewinding of the builder chain subsequent to the automatic release or de-activation of the brake means, and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary perspective view, exploded, of a roller cage and rollers constituting elements of the brake means.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, attention is directed first to FIGURE 1 showing certain basic elements of a spinning frame of the movable ring rail type. In this figure, the numeral 10 designates a spinning frame head end upon which is rigidly mounted one end of a fixed horizontal spindle rail 11, supporting a plurality of conventionally driven spindles 12 carrying bobbins 13. A vertically movable ring rail 14 is provided above the spindle rail 11 to lay yarn upon the bobbins 13 in a well-known manner for producing bobbins of the particular type desired, such as filling bobbins or warp bobbins. A series of spaced vertical ring rail support rods 15, only one of which is shown in the drawings, have their tops secured to the horizontal ring rail 14, and these rods 15 bodily carry the ring rail and cause the same to traverse the bobbins vertically in a well-known manner during vertical movement of the rods 15. Bottom feet or followers 16 on the lifter rods 15 are engaged by rollers 17 journaled on vertically swingable lifter arms 18, carried by transverse r-ock shafts 19 which span the spinning frame from front-to-back and are supported upon brackets 20 rigidly secured to the spindle rail 11 and depending therefrom. Rigid with each lifter arm 18 is an arcuate quadrant 21 to which is attached at 22 one end of a flexible builder chain 23, trained over a guide pulley 24 which is a conventional component of the spinning frame. The chain 23 extends downwardly from the pulley 24 as at 25 for connection with a chain winding and unwinding pulley 26 forming a part of the invention chain rewinding device or unit to be described, and shown in its entirety at 27 in FIGURE 1.

Each lifter arm 18, FIGURE 1, has a counterweighted extension arm 28 formed rigid therewith and projecting upon the opposite side of the axis of shaft 19, serving at all times to bias the lifter rod 15 and ring rail 14 upwardly. The upward limit of movement of the ring rail 14 may be limited by a spacer element 29 on the bottom portion of the rod 15, adapted to abut the bottom face of the fixed spindle rail 11. The lifter arm 18 has a pedal extension 30 on the free end thereof to facilitate manually lowering the ring rail 14 to a bobbin dofling position when the bobbins are completed. This mode of operation is well-known in the art.

If preferred, rather than employing the manual pedal 30 for lowering the ring rail after the completion of the bobbins, the ring rail may be lowered by the automatic means shown for example in United States Patents 3,080,- 701 or 3,124,925. Additionally, the automatic tip bunch applying device of United States Patent 3,059,407, also shown in Patent 3,124,925, may be connected in chain 23 intermediate the quadrant 21 and pulley 24 to operate in the manner disclosed in said patents for applying tip bunches to the upper tips of the bobbins 13 after the completion of their body portions. The invention device 27 may be employed with or without these above-mentioned additional automation components, as previously explained. Preferably, the device 27 is employed with the mechanisms of said prior patents to render the entire spinning frame substantially automatic in its cycle of operation. The above-mentioned additional automation components for lowering the ring rail 14 and applying tip bunches to the bobbins have been omitted in FIGURE 1 for the sake of simplicity and because they are not necessary to a proper understanding of the invention device or unit 27.

With continued reference to FIGURE 1, a conventional builder motion 31 such as the Whitin builder motion is provided on the head end and includes the builder motion cam 32 Whose shape determines the type of wind of the yarn on the bobbins 13. The builder motion further includes the conventional ratchet gear 33 and coacting pawls, all well-known in the art and through which the chain 23 is gradually unwound from the pulley 26 during the building of bobbins 13, to allow the ring rail 14 to rise slowly upon each successive stroke thereof. Construction of the builder motion 31 per se being entirely conventional need not be described in further detail here- Conventionally, when the building of the bobbins 13 is completed, the chain 23 is substantially fully unwound from the pulley or drum 26, FIGURE 6, and when the ring rail 14 is lowered manually or automatically, it is the usual practice to rewind the chain 23 upon the pulley 26 or reset the builder motion by means of a hand crank inserted in the wrench opening 34 of the builder motion, FIGURE 1. According to this invention, the manual rewinding of the chain 23 is dispensed with entirely and automatic rewinding of the chain takes place after the bobbins are fully built and in some cases after tip bunches have been applied to the bobbins and the ring rail has been fully lowered to the bottom or dofiing position. After the automatic rewinding operation, the chain and builder motion are preconditioned to begin the next complete cycle of operation of the spinning frame wherein the chain 23 is unwound gradually to allow the gradual rising of the ring rail in an oscillatory manner under the influence of the builder motion and counterweighted lifter arms 18 and associated elements.

The invention device 27 or unit shown in detail in FIG- URES 2 through 8 is essentially a self-contained attachment to the existing builder motion 31, requiring very little alteration of the latter.

As shown in the drawings, FIGURE 3, the existing builder arm 35, hidden in FIGURE 1 by housing 36, has an opening 37 receiving a reduced cylindrical portion 38 of a fixed shaft 39 constituting the main support for the invention device. The shaft 39 has a reduced screwthreaded extension 40 receiving a nut 41, serving when tightened to positively clamp a shaft shoulder 42 against the inner face of the builder arm 35. The entire shaft 39 is thus rigid with the existing arm 35. An intermediate bushing or sleeve 43 is mounted rotatably upon the shaft 39 in spaced relation to the arm 35 and held against axial movement toward the builder arm by a retaining ring 44 or the like. The bushing 43 has a radial flange 45 to which is bolted a worm gear 46 which is modified somewhat structurally from the conventional worm gear of the builder motion. The bolt means rigidly interconnecting the elements 45 and 46, FIGURE 3, is shown at 47 in that figure. The existing worm which drives the worm gear 46 is indicated diagrammatically at 48 in FIGURE 3. The worm 48, worm gear and associated elements are hidden in FIGURE 1 inside of the gear housing 36. This housing has been omitted in FIGURE 3 for the sake of simplicity.

Mounted upon the intermediate bushing 43 at the end portion thereof remote from the gear 46 is a conventional one-way engaging cam clutch 49, such as a Morse cam clutch or the like. The clutch 49 is held in assembly between the flange 45 and the inner face of a race plate 50, to be further described, having splined engagement centrally at 51 with the shaft 39. The race plate 50 is held against axial movement by a retainer ring 52, as shown.

The previously-mentioned invention chain pulley 26, which replaces the existing pulley of the builder motion is keyed at 53 to the periphery of the one-way clutch 49 and rotates freely in one direction relative to the bushing 43. The pulley 26 has the builder chain 23 securely attached thereto at a selected point on its periphery by a radially anchored chain bolt 54.

An end cover plate 55 is rigidly secured by screws 56 to the race plate 50 and the cover plate has a central opening receiving the shaft end portion 57 in a substantially flush manner, as shown. The pulley 26 can turn freely relative to the cover plate 55 which is fixed with the shaft 39 through the splines 51 and the attaching screws 56.

The cover plate 55 carries a stop bolt 58 whose purpose and operation will be fully described, which stop bolt is adjustably secured as at 59 at any point within an arcuate adjustment slot 60 formed through an extension of the cover plate 55. As shown in the drawings, an end portion of the stop bolt is in the path of movement of a radial stop lug 61 formed integrally upon the chain pulley 26.

A chain rewinding torsion spring 62 is disposed within the annular space between the peripheral wall and the hub of chain pulley 26, FIGURE 3, and one extension 63 of this spring is anchored within a small opening in the end wall of the pulley 26, while the opposite end extension 64 of the spring is anchored within a similar opening of the relatively stationary race plate 50. The energy stored in the spring 62 during the unwinding of the chain 23 from the pulley 26 is utilized to rewind the chain as will be further described.

As mentioned previously, the invention device 27 includes the provision of brake means to prevent retrograde movement of the pulley 26 or premature partial windup of the chain 23 on the pulley, if it should be necessary to stop the spinning frame and shake the ring rail upand-down vertically sometime during the bobbin building cycle. This brake means shown primarily in FIG- URES 5-8 comprises a generally annular sheet metal roller cage 65 having three circumerentially equidistantly spaced peripheral rectangular openings 66 for the loose reception of cylindrical rollers 67. Adjacent the three rollers 67, the previously-mentioned race plate 50 has three flat tangential race faces 68 for contact with the rollers to wedge them under certain conditions against the inner annular race face 69 of the chain pulley 26. A single compression spring 70 is located between a radial push flange 71 of cage 65 and a generally radial shoulder 72 of race plate 50. Under normal conditions, while the ring rail is rising during the building of bobbins, the spring 70 creates a constant circumferential pressure on the shoulder 72 and this causes slight rotation of the cage 65 in the opposite direction to that of the pulley 26 while the chain 23 is unwinding, FIGURE 6. Whenever the chain 23 becomes slack and the pulley 26 is urged in the wind-up direction by spring 62, the rollers 67 are wedged or locked between the faces 68 and 69. The one-way active clutch 49 would allow the spring 62 to rewind the chain on the pulley but the one-way active brake device which includes the rollers 67 prevents this until the brake is released by means to be described.

Means are provided to control the operation of the invention device 27 and more particularly to control the braking means described immediately above. This control means comprises a pull-type solenoid 73 having its armature extending vertically, the solenoid being rig-idly mounted upon a junction box 74, in turn resting upon and secured to a level flange 75, forming a part of the cover plate 55. The pull armature of the solenoid 73 is connected as at 76 with an upper link 77, in turn having an adjustable connection at 78 with a lower link 79 pivotally connected at 80 with a brake release lever 81 disposed between the cover plate 55 and the race plate 50, FIGURE 3. The lever 81 is pivoted at 82 near one end thereof to the relatively stationary race plate 50 and the lever has a somewhat radial extension 83 which always bears against the push flange 71 of roller cage 65.

The wires '84 of solenoid 73 are suitably connected within the junction box 74, FIGURE 2, with a three wire control cable 85 leading to a suitable control and timer instrumentality, not shown, which dictates the release of the brake means and allows the spring 62 to rewind the builder chain 23 on the pulley 26. The conrtrol instrumentality, IlOll'. shown, is normally the control timer unit numbered 125 in Patent 3,124,925 or a similar control instrumentality.

At the start of a cycle of operation of the spinning frame, the previously lowered ring rail 14 begins to rise and oscillate over the bobbins 13 to gradually build the same and upon each stroke of the ring rail dictated by the cam 32 and pawl and ratchet means of the builder motion 31, in conjunction with the counterweighted lift arms 18, the ring rail will escend a bit further over the bobbins than on the previous stroke. The chain 23 continues to unwind gradually from the pulley 26 until the bobbin building operation is completed, and the ring rail 14 is near the tops of the bobbins, FIGURE 1. This general mode of operation is conventional. During the normal spinning operation, worm 48 drives worm gear 46 which in turn positively drives sleeve or bushing 43 in one direction on the fixed shaft 39. This is the direction to unwind the builder chain 23 from the pulley 26. The pulley 26 is positively driven in this unwinding direction through the one-way clutch 49, which is active or locked in this direction to transmit power. The clutch 49, however, allows the pulley 26 to turn freely in the opposite direction for rewinding the chain. However, the brake means, FIGURES 5 through 7, is also active or locking during the unwinding of the chain whenever the chain is slack, to prevent reverse movement of the pulley 26 in the direction which would be allowed by the one-way clutch 49 and such reverse movement cannot take place until the brake means is released, as will be described. The rollers 67 are free between the faces 68 and 69 during actual movement of the pulley 26 for unwinding the chain 23.

At the beginning of the operating cycle, FIGURE 5, the stop 111g 61 of the pulley is against the fixed stop bolt 58 on cover plate 55. As the spinning operation continues, FIGURE 6, the stop lugs 61 gradually moves away from the stop bolt 58 in the direction of the arrow, and more and more of the chain 23 is gradually let off the pulley 26. During this operation, the rewind spring 62 which had substantially no energy stored therein at the beginning of the cycle has its spring tension gradually increased as the builder chain 23 is unwound from the pulley. Ultimately, as depicted primarily in FIGURES 1 and 6, the building of bobbins is completed and the ring rail is at the normal upper limit of its travel and the biulder chain is fully unwound from the pulley 26.

At this instant and before the device 27 is activated to rewind the chain 23, the devices above-mentioned in said prior patents are set into action automatically and in properly timed relation to apply tip bunches to the upper tips of the bobbins 13 and to immediately thereafter lower and lock the ring rail 14 in the bobbin dofiing position. As stated previously, the invention herein may function alone or in conjunction with these additional patented automation components.

After the complete lowering and locking of the ring rail by the mechanism shown in Patent 3,124,925, for example, and after the re-engagement of the escapement unit 37 in such patent, the electrical control and timing means thereof functions automatically, so that through the cable of the invention device, solenoid 73 will be energized to release the brake means which up to now has prevented retrograde movement of the pulley 26. When solenoid 73 is thus energized, the links 77 and 79 are pulled upwardly, FIGURE 7, thus rotating lever 81 upon its pivot 82, causing lever extension 83 to shift push flange 71 against compression spring 70. This causes slight rotation of the cage 65 in the clock-' wise direction, FIGURE 7, suflicient in degree to move the braking rollers 67 out of engagement with the pulley face 69, thereby releasing the pulley 26 to turn in the direction of the arrow in FIGURE 7 under influence of the accumulated tension in rewind spring 62. This instantly causes the pulley 26 to rewind the builder chain 23 toward the initial condition shown in FIGURE 5 and to take up the slack in the chain caused by lowering of the ring rail. One-way cam clutch 49 allows free rotation of the pulley 26 in the direction shown in FIGURE 7 until the condition of FIGURE 5 is again obtained, wherein the stop lug 61 is engaging the fixed stop bolt 58. At this time, the builder chain and the entire builder motion are preconditioned for the next regular cycle of operation. Also, after the automatic rew-inding is completed, solenoid 73 is automatically de-energized by the remote electrical control means, not shown, thereby lowering links 77 and 79 and allowing lever 81 to return to its position shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, wherein the lever extension 83 shifts away from the compression .spring 70. This allows the spring 70 to rotate the roller cage 65 sufliciently so that the rollers 67 are again wedged between the face 69 and the tangential faces 68, thus again locking the pulley 26 against reverse rotation as where the spinning frame is stopped during the normal spinning operation.

It will be understood that in the event the invention device 27 is used without the control means and the other instrumentalities of Patent 3,124,925, a suitable limit switch or the like will be employed to energize the solenoid 73 through the cable 85 after the ring rail 14 has been manually lowered by use of the foot pedal 30. In most instances, the invention unit will be employed along with the other automation equipment in the mentioned prior patents.

A hand lever 86 is pivoted at 87 to the cover plate 55 and a portion of this lever, FIGURES 2 and 4, projects beneath a horizontal shoulder 88 of link 77, whereby the hand lever may be manpulated to raise the links 77 and 79 and turn the lever 81 upon its pivot to release the brake means manually. The purpose of the hand lever is to facilitate initial adjustment of the stop lug or tooth 61 on the chain pulley and the adjustment of stop bolt 58 when the invention is being installed.

7 It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a spinning frame having a movable ring rail to lay yarn on bobbins for building the same, lift means connected with the ring rail and constantly biasing it upwardly, a builder motion to dictate the movement of the ring rail in coordination with the lift means and including a fixed arm, and a builder chain interconnecting the lift means and builder motion, the improvement comprising a support shaft fixed to said arm, a sleeve member rotatably mounted upon said shaft, builder motion gearing connected with the sleeve member to turn the same in one direction, a one-way active clutch on the sleeve member to turn therewith in said one direction and being active in that direction and freely turning in the reverse direction, a builder chain pulley on said clutch and driven thereby positively in said one direction to unwind the builder chain from the pulley, said chain secured to the pulley and windable and unwindable thereon, a separate one-way active brake means interconnecting said pulley and shaft and allowing free turning of the pulley in one direction to unwind the chain and preventing reverse turning of the pulley in the direction which said one-way clutch is free to allow, and poweroperated means to release the brake means at a predetermined time after the chain is substantially fully unwound from the pulley to allow reverse turning thereof relative to said shaft and sleeve member in the direction permitted by the one-way clutch, resilient means connected with the pulley and building up energy during turning of the pulley in said one direction to unwind the pulley and automatically turning the pulley in the opposite direction to rewind the chain thereon when said poweroperated means releasessaid brake means.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, and positive stop means including a stop element on the pulley and a coacting stop element on said fixed shaft to limit the extent of turning of the pulley under influence of said resilient means, said stop means when engaged positioning the pulley properly for the next cycle of operation unwinding said chain.

3. A device attachable to a builder motion arm on a spinning frame and serving to automatically rewind the builder chain of the spinning frame subsequent to the normal bobbin building operation, said device comprising a supporting member secured to said arm, rotary gear means on said supporting member turned in one direction by the builder motion, a clutch device on the rotary gear means to turn therewith in said one direction and being active in said direction and releasing in the opposite direction, a builder chain pulley on the clutch device and keyed thereto and driven positively thereby in said one direction, spring means connected with the pulley and accumulating energy when the pulley turns in said one direction and tending to drive the pulley in the opposite direction permitted by said clutch device, separate one-way engaging brake means interconnecting said pulley and supporting member and normally allowing the pulley to turn freely in said one direction and preventing the pulley from turning in the reverse direction permitted by the clutch device, and power-operated means connected with said brake means to de-activate the same and releasing the pulley to turn under influence of the spring means in said reverse direction permitted by the clutch device.

4. The invention as defined by claim 3, and positive stop means connected with the pulley to arrest the re verse rotation of the same under influence of the spring means at a predetermined point.

5. The invention as defined by claim 4, and wherein the stop means includes a part which is adjustable circumferentially of the pulley.

6. The invention as defined by claim 3, and wherein said poweroperated means includes a solenoid, means supporting the solenoid on said supporting member, and

a control linkage interconnecting the solenoid and brake means and operable to release the brake means when the solenoid is energized.

7. In a spinning frame of the type having a movable ring rail, lift means constantly urging the ring rail upwardly, a builder chain connected with the lift means and regulating the operation thereof, and a builder motion for regulating the letting-out of said chain and including a fixed arm and cam actuated gearing driven by the spinning frame, the improvement comprising a builder chain controlling an automatic rewinding device, said device comprising a support shaft fixedly secured to said arm, an intermediate sleeve rotatable on said shaft, a gear secured to the intermediate sleeve to turn therewith and engaged with and driven by the builder motion gearing in one direction, a one-way active clutch on said intermediate sleeve and turning therewith in said one direction and active in said one direction and turning freely in the opposite direction, a builder chain pulley on said clutch and driven thereby positively in said one direction, said pulley secured to the builder chain whereby the chain may be unwound from the pulley and rewound thereon, a race plate fixed to said support shaft and having circumferentially spaced tangential faces disposed inside of the pulley in opposed relation to a bore face of the pulley, roller elements disposed between said bore face and tangential faces, a roller cage having openings receiving and confining said rollers and disposed inwardly of said pulley bore face and shi-ftable circumferentially relative to the pulley and race plate, a spring interposed between said cage and race plate and normally urging the cage in one circumferential direction to cause wedging of the rollers between the pulley bore face and said tangential faces, thereby normally locking the pulley against rotation in the direction permitted by, said clutch, and power-operated linkage means connected with the race plate and engageable with the roller cage and operable at a predetermined time to shift said cage in an opposite circumferential direction against said spring to release said rollers from engagement with the pulley bore face so that the pulley may turn in the reverse direction allowed by said clutch to rewind the builder chain thereon, and a torsion spring connected with said pulley and with the race plate and winding up and storing energy during turning of the pulley in said one direction and automatically turning the pulley in the opposite direction allowed by said clutch when said linkage means operates to shift said cage and release said rollers.

8. The invention as defined by claim 7, and a cover plate secured to the outer face of said race plate and substantially covering and enclosing one end of the pulley and having a supporting part, solenoid means on said supporting part, adjustable linkage means connected with the solenoid means and including a pivoted lever on the race plate having an extension engaging said roller cage, a circumferentially adjustable stop element on the cover plate, and a fixed stop element on the pulley.

9. A builder chain rewinding unit for a spinning fname attachable to an existing builder arm of said frame comprising a main support shaft adapted for rigid attachment to said builder arm, :a rotary element on said shaft adapted to be driven by builder motion gearing, a oneway clutch on said rotary element active in the direction of rotation of the rotary element by said gearing and releasing in the opposite direction of rotation, a builder chain pullley on said clutch and driven thereby positively in said one direction and allowed by the clutch to turn in the opposite direction relative to said shaft and rotary element, said pulley adapted for connection to a builder chain, a trace plate fixedly secured to said shaft and having tangential race faces in spaced opposed relation to a bore face of the pulley, a spring interconnecting the pulley and race plate and storing energy during turning of the pulley in said one direction by the clutch to later turn the pulley in a reverse direction allowed by the clutch to rewind the builder chain, a cover plate member secured to the race plate and substantially covering the bore of the pulley and enclosing the elements within said bore, power-operated linkage means on the cover plate, a roller brake cage assembly interposed between said tangential faces and pulley bore face, a spring urging said assembly in one circumferential direction causing wedging of said assernbly between the tangential and pulley bore faces to normally lock the pulley against rotation in the reverse direction allowed by said one-way clutch, a part of said linkage means engaging said brake cage assembly to shift the same in an opposite circumferential direction to release the pulley for turning in said reverse direction under influence of the first-named spring.

10. A device for automatically rewinding the builder chain of a movable ring rail spinning machine, said device comprising a support shaft adapted for fixed attachment .to a builder arm, a pulley for rotation upon said shaft in opposite directions and adapted for connection with the builder chain to pay out the same during bobbin building and to subsequently rewind the chain on the pulley, rotary means on the shaft between the pulley and shaft and supporting the pulley and adapted to positively drive the pulley in one direction for paying out the chain and allowing the pulley to turn freely in an opposite direction for rewinding the chain, said rotary means adapted to be driven in said one direction positively by builder moton gearing, resilient means connected with the pulley and storing energy during rotation of the pulley in said one direction so that the resilient means can later turn the pulley in said opposite direction, and power-operated means independent of the builder motion gearing and said rotary means and connected with the pulley to prevent rotation thereof in said opposite direction for said rewinding of the chain and operable after completion of bobbin building to release said pulley for rotation in said opposite direction freely as allowed by said rotary means under influence of said resilient means.

11. The invention as defined by claim 10, and wherein said rotary means includes a one-way active clutch engaging said pulley and positively driving the pulley in said one direction, said power-operated means including a one-way active roller brake means engaging the pulley and normally locking the pulley against free rotation in said opposite direction allowed by the clutch for rewinding the chain and subsequently releasing the pulley for rotation in such direction upon activation of the power-operated means.

12. The invention as defined by claim 10, and wherein said power-operated means includes a one-way engaging roller brake unit :to normally check free rotation of the pulley in said opposite direction allowed by said rotary means for rewinding the chain, a mechanical linkage connected \m'th said roller brake unit to release the same and free said pulley, and a solenoid connected with said linkage to shift the same in a direction rel-easing the brake unit.

13. The invention as defined by claim 12, and wherein said linkage and solenoid are mounted upon said support shaft.

14. The invention as defined by claim 12, and cover plate means fixed to said support shaft and bodily carrying said mechanical linkage and solenoid, circumferentially adjustable stop means on the cover plate means and pulley coacting to arrest rotation of the pulley, and manual lever means on the cover plate means having a part engaging said linkage to move the same for releasing the roller brake unit, whereby the stop means can readily be adjusted.

15. A device for automatically rewinding the builder chain of a movable ring rail spinning machine comprising a supporting member adapted to be secured to the builder arm of the spinning machine, rotary gear means on the supporting member adapted to be turned in one direction by the spinning machine builder motion, a clutch device on the rotary gear means to turn therewith in said one direction and being active in said direction and free turning in the opposite direction, a builder chain pulley on the clutch device and secured thereto and driven positively thereby in said one direction, spring means connected with the pulley and storing energy when the pulley turns in said one direction and tending to turn the pulley in the opposite direction permitted by said clutch device, separate one-way engaging brake means interconnecting said pulley and supporting member and normally allowing the pulley to turn freely in said one direction and preventing the pulley from turning in the opposite direction permitted by the clutch device, and means connected with said brake means and operable to de-activate the brake means for releasing the pulley to turn under influence of the spring means in said opposite direction permitted by the clutch device.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 257,198 5/1882 Worral 24226.4 X 900,592 10/ 1908 Rhoades 242-26.1 1,747,974 2/ 1930 Helland 24226. 1 X 1,926,390 9/1933 Kooistra 24226.1 X 2,179,324 11/ 1939 Desrosiers 24226.1 2,179,332 11/1939 Helland 242-26.1 3,138,339 6/1964 Iones 242--26.4

STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A SPINNING FRAME HAVING A MOVABLE RING RAIL TO LAY YARN ON BOBBINS FOR BUILDING THE SAME, LIFT MEANS CONNECTED WITH THE RING RAIL AND CONSTANTLY BIASING IT UPWARDLY, A BUILDER MOTION TO DICTATE THE MOVEMENT OF THE RING RAIL IN COORDINATION WITH THE LIFT MEANS AND INCLUDING A FIXED ARM, AND A BUILDER CHAIN INTERCONNECTING THE LIFT MEANS AND BUILDER MOTION, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A SUPPORT SHAFT FIXED TO SAID ARM, A SLEEVE MEMBER ROTATABLY MOUNTED UPON SAID SHAFT, BUILDER MOTION GEARING CONNECTED WITH THE SLEEVE MEMBER TO TURN THE SAME IN ONE DIRECTION, A ONE-WAY ACTIVE CLUTCH ON THE SLEEVE MEMBER TO TURN THEREWITH IN SAID ONE DIRECTION AND BEING ACTIVE IN THAT DIRECTION AND FREELY TURNING IN THE REVERSED DIRECTION, A BUILDER CHAIN PULLEY ON SAID CLUTCH AND DRIVEN THEREBY POSITIVELY IN SAID ONE DIRECTION TO UNWIND THE BUILDER CHAIN FROM THE PULLEY, SAID CHAIN SECURVED TO THE PULLEY AND WINDABLE AND UNWINDABLE THERE- 